Rail-joint.



E. A. KIMBALL 6: H. S. FREEMAN.

RAIL J0INT APPLICATION nun APR. 23, mos

Patented July 6, 1909.

EDWIN A. KIMBALL AN D HERBERT S.

FREEMAN, or sr. PAUL, MINNESOTA.

aain romcr.

Specification of Letters'Patent.

Patented July 6, 1909.

' Application filed April 2a, 1908. Serial No. 28,526.

flb all whom it may concern: I

Be it known that we, EDWIN A. KIMBALL and HERBERT S. FREEMAN, citizens of the United States; residing at St. Paul, in the county of Ramsey and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rail-Joints; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it 'appertainsto make and use the same. a

Our invention has for its object to provide an extremely efficient and greatly improved rail joint; and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described and defined in the claims.

In the accompanyin drawings which illustrate the invention, lihe character's indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Referring to the drawings, Figure 1 is a view in side elevation, illustrating our improved rail joint applied to connect the abutting ends of two rails. Fig. 2 is a trans verse vertical section taken onthe line a m of Fig. 1. 1 Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section taken on the line a r of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a plan view showing the novel joint forming fish plates separated from each other; andFig. 5 is a planview showing the said fish plates coupled together, but with the rail removed.

The numeral 1 indicates rails and the nunieral 2 ties of the usual construction, the

' abutting ends of the-said rails being located between the two ties shown in Fig. 2.

In this improved rail joint, we employ fish plates 3 that overlap the abutting ends of the rails and are clamped to the rails by means of nutted bolts 3*, which bolts are applied in substantially the usual way. In this improved construction, however, the fish plates 3 are provided with outwardly extended base flanges that closely engage and project out' ward beyond the base flanges of the railsconnected thereto; and at their intermediate portions the base flanges of said fish plates are extended downward and turned inward to form overlapping and interlocking base plates 4 and 5. Both base plates engage with the bottoms ofthe connected rails, but the edge of the'plate 4 under-laps the edge of the plate 5. The. overlapping edges of these two plates 4 and 5 are formed with dovetailed or-vertically beveled hook-like engag ing lock flanges 4 and 5, respectively. The engaging surfaces of the lock flanges 45 and 5 extend obliquely to the longitudinal axis of therail, so that when they are engaged and slid or moved endwise one in respect to the other the two fish plates will be thereby drawn together toward each other and tightly clamped onto the foot flanges and against the heads of the two connected rails.

The base plate or flange 4, it will be noted, is

curved, and hence, under intense clamping strain will spring slightly under the force which tends to straighten the same.

' In Fig. tthe two fish plates are shown as if separated by endwise movement. When they are properly positioned in respect toa rail and moved endwise from the relative positions shown in Fig. 4 into the relative positions shown in Fig. 5, said fish plates will be tightly drawn onto the rails as above indicated. In applying the fish plates to the rails to be connected, one of the fish'plates (preferably the one to which the base plate 5 is secured) is first placed against the two rails by a lateral movement, in suchposition that the bolt holes therein will aline with the bolt holes in the vertical web of the rails to be connected. Then the other fish late should be placed against the opposite Sl( es of the rails with its base plate 4 longitudinally oilset from the base plate 5 of the positioned fish plate, and then should he slid or driven into the relative positions shown in Fig. 5,- with its bolt holes alined with the bolt holes in the rails and in the other fish plate. When this has been done, both fish plates will have been tightly clamped against the tworails, but after the nutted bolts have been applied" thereto they will be much more rigidl and. more securely clamped to the rails. Vhen the fish plates are applied asshown in Figs. 1,

flanges. Both of the so-called fish plates I posite side channels of said rails and secured should have their so-called bearing plates and lock flanges formed integral therewith. The interlocking fish plates described afford a highly eflicient rail joint of comparatively small cost; and, furthermore, they may be very guickly and easily applied to rails of standar construction.

What we claini is:

1. A pair of fish plates provided with intermediatelylocated base plates, having interlocking hook-like flanges at their overlapping edges, engaging ona line extending obliquely to the longitudinal direction of the rail, and

onset the said base plates being crooked or bent at its intermediate portion, whereby its said intermediate portion is made slightly yielding, substantially as described.

2. The combination with ties and abutting rails, of a pair of fish plates seated in the op-. positeside channels of said rails and secured thereto and overlap ing abutting ends thereof, said fishrplates eing also extended over and secured to adjacent ties and having at their central portions, depending inter-locking hook-like base plates that extend below the end portions of said fish plates, substantially as described.

3. The combination with ties and abutting rails, of a pair of fish plates seated in the op- -to, and overla ping abutting ends thereof,

said fish plates eing also extended over and secured to the adjacent ties, and having at their central portions depending inter-lockinghook-like base plates, engageable below the rails and spanning the rail joint below the up )er surfaces of said ties.

4. The combination with ties and abutting rails, of a pair of fish plates sea'tedin the opposite side channels of said rails, and bolted to and overlapping the abutting ends there? of, said fish plates being also extended over and secured to adjacent ties, and having at their central portions, base plates with interlocking hook-like flanges engageable below the rail, spanning the rail joint and extendng below the upper surface of the ties, the engaged surfaces of said hook-like flanges being beveled vertically and being extended longitudinally at an angle to the longitudinal axis of the rail.

In testimony whereof we afiix' our signatures in presence of two witnesses.

'EDWIN A. KIMBALL. HERBERT s. FREEMAN.

Witnesses:

HARRY D. KILooRE, MALIE HQEL. 

